The problem with drones is that they’re impersonal machines. They’re operated by remote control. They mindlessly pursue their preprogrammed targets. There’s no option for decision-making on the fly.

They lack, to put it metaphorically, a face.

To correct at least one of those problems, let us introduce the Orvillecopter, by Dutch artist Bert Jansen, with hardware assistance by Arjen Beltman. In which an ex-cat is repurposed as zeppelin. A former pet who was unfortunately run over by a car, this delirious manifestation of Derridian homophonic glee puts the taxi in taxidermy and the props in propeller.

Peggy Nelson is Arts Editor at HiLobrow, covering art, art-makers, and the virtual life; she was also HiLobrow's first Artist in Residence. She is a new media artist whose work involves fractured narratives in film, augmented reality, Twitter, and even objects on occasion. Follow her on Twitter at @otolythe.

HiLoBooks has rediscovered 10 lost classics from science fiction's Radium Age (1904–33) era. A gorgeous paperback series — collect them all while you can!

NEW!

NEW! Coauthored by HiLobrow's Joshua Glenn. "Dozens of recommendations for games and apps to check out, plus ideas for how to 'hack' said games to keep them fresh." — Publishers Weekly | "Readers both young and old will find something appealing here, as there is a game or activity to fit every mood and every game-playing preference." — Library Journal

HiLobrow is a p(HiLo)sophical blog. Click here for the Best of 2010; here for 2011; here for 2012; here for 2013; and here for 2014.